General Director of OJSC "Naftan" - on the development of production and expansion of the innovative product line

The flagship of the Belarusian oil refining industry, OJSC Naftan, is steadily following its main principle – to produce high-quality competitive products. It is possible to realize the plan through the implementation of a wide range of measures aimed at the introduction of new technologies and strengthening the links of the production chain. The general director of the enterprise Oleg Zhebin told about how Naftan is developing in the current difficult conditions, and about the plans for the five-year plan.

Efficiency as the main benchmark — Oleg Vladimirovich, an important milestone in the history of the enterprise in the past five-year period was reaching the depth of oil refining above 90 percent. How do you assess the effectiveness of already implemented investment projects?

- Exit to such a depth of oil refining is a key marker of the technological development of Naftan. The investment projects implemented at this stage have already proved their usefulness and high efficiency, which can be noted in three areas: technological, economic and environmental.

The main object of implementation, of course, was the launch of the delayed coking complex. This project made it possible to radically modernize the technological chain of the plant and involve heavy oil residues in refining with the production of more valuable components. Due to this, an increase in the yield of light oil products was achieved, which amounted to 76-77%. The company also mastered the production of a completely new product for the Belarusian market - petroleum coke. Due to the extraction of additional light fractions, the profitability of oil refining significantly increases, and the obtained economic effect confirms the correctness of the chosen strategy and helps to maintain the high competitiveness of the plant in the market.

The effectiveness of modernization is expressed not only in money, but also in environmental protection. The commissioning of modern plants, including the installation of the production of elemental sulfur by the Klaus method, allowed to minimize the load on the atmosphere of the region, proving that large-scale oil refining can develop in harmony with nature.

Thus, the investments fully justified themselves, allowing the team to create a reliable foundation for further work and development. The competitiveness of Naftan is reflected in the production indicators that determine its technological and commercial efficiency. At the same time, one of the main factors is the depth of oil refining and the yield of light oil products, with the growth of which the production of fuel oil in favor of high-margin fuels is minimized. The profitability of the enterprise is also strongly influenced by its energy efficiency – specific consumption of fuel and energy resources. Another criterion is the share of products of the highest ecological classes. It allows the company to respond flexibly to the needs of the market.

The modernization of OJSC Naftan is a non-stop process. What are the priorities for this year?

The implementation of investment projects of OJSC Naftan is carried out in accordance with the developed development program, aimed primarily at improving the economic efficiency of the company’s work in the short and medium term. It is also planned to implement a number of projects aimed at updating existing installations through the introduction of more modern, technological and reliable equipment where the residual resource will soon not provide a sufficiently reliable and uninterrupted operation. This year, we have already completed the modernization of one of the catalytic reforming units, where we have obtained an economic effect that will allow us to recoup investments in 2026-2027. A number of projects are currently being implemented to upgrade auxiliary production facilities. We are talking about replacing boiler equipment, heating furnaces of raw flows, updating the air compressor. In addition, on a systematic basis, we carry out measures aimed at reducing production costs by optimizing technological chains for obtaining commodity products, as well as releasing new products with high added value that are in demand on the market.

- One of the priority tasks in the work of the enterprise is related to energy saving. What projects are being implemented in this direction and what effect do you expect?

- One of the top priorities of Naftan is energy saving. Without reducing the cost of energy resources per unit of manufactured commercial products, it is impossible to achieve its competitiveness and economic well-being of the enterprise. The energy strategy provides for the implementation of organizational and technological measures aimed at saving fuel and energy resources.

The main directions of energy saving: modernization of thermal insulation of steam lines and pipelines, increasing the energy efficiency of existing technologies and processes, introduction of modern energy-efficient equipment into production, utilization of thermal secondary energy resources, installation of more energy-efficient lighting devices and replacement of pumping equipment with more energy-efficient ones.

Preparation for the new heating season (included in the field of energy saving - these are links in one chain) is aimed at stable operation of the enterprise and obtaining economic benefits. We pay special attention to the preparation of power and heat supply systems, power boilers, recycling boilers, heat heating, the state of thermal insulation of pipelines and shut-off valves. The result of this work is natural: at the end of August, certificates of readiness of OJSC Naftan for work in the autumn-winter period 2026/27 were received. In the new off-season period, we also plan to implement a number of events at our facilities. The projected effect of their implementation will be more than 3.4 thousand tons of equivalent fuel. Bet on innovation – Among the important achievements, we can also note the introduction of a new technology for the production of base oils. What's interesting about this direction?

The introduction of hydrocracking base oils to the market is one of the most knowledge-intensive growth points for our company. The main confirmation of the uniqueness of the new technology was the receipt of a patent for a method of production of components of base oils by Naftan. A great goal was achieved on the existing technological equipment on their own, without the involvement of eminent licensors, thanks to the engineering thought of technical specialists and with the support of almost all services of OJSC Naftan involved in the main production. The implementation of this idea in life made it possible to put on stream the release of synthetics, which is in demand in the market. This direction is critically important today, as the modern lubricants market strictly dictates the growth of demand for synthetic products. Responding to these challenges and taking care of our consumers, we also use hydrocracking components in the production of our own lubricants, which allows us to cover the needs of the domestic market and develop our own brand.

- What new products may appear in the company in the near future?

- The production of new products and the modernization of existing formulations have long been the systematic work of our technical specialists. As a rule, we create or update several items annually. And 2026 was no exception. Currently, work is almost at the final stage on the production of a new engine oil at the level of API properties SN / CF and ACEA A5 / B5 viscosity classes SAE 0W-30, 5W-30, and very soon this product will be available to consumers.

It is also worth announcing the preparatory work for the production of engine oil for four-stroke motor vehicles with wet clutch properties level API SL and JASO MA2. An assessment of the possibility of producing a new oil has already been carried out, and its production and sale are planned after completion of all the necessary stages.

In the period 2026-2027, we intend to continue systematic work on the production of new products. Now the production of new engine oils of API SP properties level is being worked out in the near future, oriented, among other things, to the owners of cars of the domestic manufacturer - BELGI CJSC, and much more. Trajectory: What are the goals for the current five-year plan?

- We are systematically working to improve the efficiency of oil processing. In the next five years, we plan to implement projects aimed at reducing operating costs for production. Updating the fixed assets of energy and auxiliary capacities, implementing measures to reduce irretrievable losses of oil and oil products, as well as finding and identifying ways to optimize existing technological processes to improve production efficiency will allow in the short and medium term to achieve a significant reduction in production costs, having a positive impact on the economy as a whole. And in many areas, these processes have already started. The implementation of the updated development program of OJSC Naftan is carried out by our engineering service under the supervision of the management of the Belneftekhim concern. In addition, the introduction of modern automated process control systems is no longer a modern trend, but a justified need as one of the factors that increase the level of industrial safety and affect the efficiency of production facility management. In this regard, our company plans to implement a number of measures to increase the level of digitalization of existing industries.

- The company annually allocates a significant amount of resources for modernization. What projects are on the list of tasks for this year?

- In total, in accordance with the business plan for 2026, it is planned to implement about 50 projects for the parent enterprise and the Polymir plant. Among them are projects aimed at technical re-equipment, as well as those that provide industrial, energy, fire, environmental and security.

- Experts note the high technological level of the enterprise. Recently, a delegation consisting of representatives of Uzbekneftegaz JSC and the Bukhara Oil Refinery visited it. What are the prospects for cooperation with colleagues from this country?

- Indeed, in accordance with the previously reached agreements between the heads of state of the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Uzbekistan, in July 2026, representatives of the delegation of Uzbekneftegaz JSC visited our enterprise. During the visit to the production facilities, the guests got acquainted with the successful experience of implementing major investment projects and developing OJSC Naftan. We also held talks on the organization of mutual supplies of petrochemical raw materials and products, discussed other issues of mutually beneficial cooperation for the future, which will benefit both parties. Strong team – How does the company solve the issue of training?

- The issue of training young specialists in OJSC Naftan is approached comprehensively, starting, we can say, from the school bench. This work includes several directions. In particular, in order to attract promising and talented youth, we conduct targeted career guidance for students of general secondary education institutions to attract them to enter local educational institutions – Polotsk State University and Novopolotsk State Polytechnic College, with which Naftan OJSC has concluded cooperation agreements. For this purpose, we often invite school students and their parents to meetings with representatives of the company. We conduct excursions of children to our Hall of Labor Glory, organize presentations of the enterprise at city celebrations, open days in educational institutions of higher and secondary special education of Novopolotsk, the republican youth fair of vacancies and the fair of targeted training. An important role is also played by the formation of an order in educational institutions for the training of young specialists and workers, the organization of all types of practices of students and students on the basis of our enterprise, the participation of specialists from Naftan and Polymir in the work of state examination commissions. I would like to note the work done in recent years to expand the practice of concluding targeted training contracts. Starting from 2024, we have already signed more than 200 contracts for targeted training of young specialists with various educational institutions. Wide complex work brings a natural result. About 150 young professionals come to us every year. For their better labor and social adaptation, mentoring was organized, additional measures were taken to expand the social package and benefits in accordance with the collective agreement of the enterprise, and measures were developed for additional material stimulation of labor.

- What competencies are most in demand today in modern oil refining production?

- Our main working professions are operators of technological installations, apparatchiks of various names, machinists of process pumps and compressor plants, instrumentalists, electrical technicians, laboratory technicians, repairmen, electric gas welders. It is important to take into account that modern refining and petrochemicals are technically complex and automated production. To operate such technological production in OJSC "Naftan" can only highly qualified workers with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. It is not enough to have just a diploma of an educational institution - an employee must have a sufficient professional level of qualification and constantly work to improve their competencies. Knowledge in your profession, responsibility for assigned work, the desire to learn new things - these are the components of success in production activities. We do our best to keep our team strong. An important step in this direction, among other measures, was the formation and regular replenishment of a promising reserve of young people under the age of 31. We try to ensure that the employees included in this reserve improve their skills and can transfer the knowledge gained to their subordinates in the future.

bogacheva@sb.by